OCD Treatment by psychiatrist in Delhi
Have I locked the main door of my flat!! Probably Yes!! Every morning I lock the main door of my flat before leaving for office. Let me check once, if by mistake I have left it unlocked, burglary may happen anytime in my flat. Common sign of Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). There must be so much germs on the tap of the washbasin in the office washroom, everyone is using the same. Let me clean it thoroughly before using it, it would be best if I spray some sanitizer over it. Another common sign of OCD. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental health disorder in which an individual has frequent unwanted thoughts and sensations (obsessions) causing him/ her to perform repetitive behaviours (compulsions). OCD is a life-long condition but symptoms may come and go over repeatedly. The most common OCD symptoms identified by OCD psychiatrist are fear of causing harm to oneself or someone else, cleanliness and contamination, fear of making a mistake, etc. Though researchers are working on improved treatments for dealing with OCD for decades, the most effective treatment identified by psychiatrist in Delhi is exposure therapy, also called “exposure with response prevention”. Other advanced treatment for OCD applied by psychiatrist in Delhi are Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (DTMS), psychotherapy and medication depending on the condition of the patient.
Symptoms of OCD
The main symptoms of OCD diagnosed by OCD psychiatrist are obsessions and compulsions that interfere with daily activities of an individual. For instance, you may have trouble getting ready for office, or symptoms may often prevent you from completing work on time. Both OCD-related obsessions and OCD-related compulsions enhance one another, causing the severity of the condition to increase.
Symptoms of Obsessions in OCD
Common symptoms of obsessions are listed below:
- Fear of harming oneself or someone else.
- Fear of coming in contact with contaminated substances, such as germs or dirt.
- Fear of repeating a mistake.
- Feelings of doubt.
- Unwanted thoughts of sex.
- Need for order, symmetry, or perfection.
Symptoms of Compulsions in OCD
Common symptoms of compulsions are listed below:
- Frequent bathing, washing hands repeatedly.
- Repeated checking of things such as locks, keys, switches.
- Collecting items that have no financial value.
- Doing a task a specific amount of times, counting numbers, avoiding certain numbers.
- Chanting prayers while doing unrelated tasks.
Treatment for OCD
The most common treatment offered by Psychiatrist in Delhi are psychotherapy and medication.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy (talk therapy) is a technique applied by OCD psychiatrist that aim to help individuals identify and change unhealthy emotions, thoughts and behaviours. Psychotherapy can be of several types:
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): In CBT, an OCD psychiatrist examines and understand the patient’s thoughts and emotions and help alter harmful thoughts and stop negative habits, at times replacing them with healthy habits.
Exposure and response prevention (ERP): In ERP, an OCD psychiatrist exposes the patient to feared situations or images and check how the patient resist the urge to perform a compulsion. By staying in a feared situation, the patient learns that their anxious thoughts are just thoughts and not necessarily reality.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): In ACT treatment, an OCD psychiatrist help the patient learn to accept obsessive thoughts as just thoughts to live a meaningful life.
Medication of OCD by psychiatrist
Psychiatrist in Delhi usually prescribe selective SRIs (SSRIs), serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs), and tricyclic antidepressants to treat OCD. Some of the common SSRIs prescribed by OCD Psychiatrist are Fluvoxamine, Paroxetine, Fluoxetine, Sertraline. These medications start showing their effects in eight to 12 weeks.
New Advancement Treatment for OCD
Research in the field of OCD shows ketamine, an FDA-approved anaesthetic to relieve symptoms of depression within hours. This drug affects the brain’s glutamate system involved in important brain functions such as learning and memory. In a small pilot study, patients with OCD who are prescribed ketamine reported a rapid decrease in OCD symptoms. Another research study reports theta burst stimulation, a type of neuromodulation therapy that reduced OCD symptoms by 50%. Theta burst stimulation is a form of transcranial magnetic stimulation, a non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic fields to stimulate the brain.
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) using magnetic pulses to modulate neurocircuitry has proved to be effective in treating psychiatric disorders, including OCD. New developments in Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) which induces a generalized seizure has proved to be effective in treating OCD in limited number of cases.
Ablative neurosurgery and deep brain stimulation (DBS) are also effective solutions as prescribed by OCD psychiatrist for treating OCD in combination with ongoing pharmacological treatment and CBT.
DTMS treatment for OCD
Very recently, a new development in the treatment of OCD has been noticed that could help alleviate some of the anxiety and stress associated with this disorder. Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, in short DTMS an innovative therapy method is an effective treatment for OCD. In this method, an OCD psychiatrist delivers magnetic pulses to specific areas of the brain that are believed to be linked to OCD symptoms, which then stimulate brain activity and lead to a decrease in OCD-related behaviours. DTMS is considered to be a safe and well-tolerated form of OCD treatment as it does not involve any medications or surgery, and side effects are rare. A course of DTMS treatment typically consists of daily sessions totalling upto 20 sessions over a period of 4-6 weeks and during each session patients remain awake and alert while a special coil is placed against their scalp producing magnetic pulses that pass through the skull and stimulate specific areas of the brain.
Benefits of DTMS
DTMS has proved to be effective in treating OCD and has the following benefits:
- Helps to control Obsessive Thoughts
- Improves Cognitive Function
- Reduces Anxiety Symptoms
- Reduces Severity of Symptoms
Though the aforementioned therapies and techniques are still in the research stage and are not 100% effective and few even have side effects, researchers and psychiatrist in Delhi are going through multiple trials on novel medications with unique mechanisms of action including tolcapone, psilocybin, nitrous oxide, nabilone, ondansetron, and pregabalin. Beyond this, the understanding of the pathophysiology and novel treatment options for OCD are in nascent stage of development. Some OCD psychiatrist are also experimenting with alternative treatment approach such as meditation, acupuncture and exercise to give their patients permanent relief from OCD.
